Sri Lankan authorities on Sunday arrested 32 Indian fishermen and seized five fishing boats for allegedly venturing into the island nation`s territorial waters, the Navy said.
According to news agency PTI, the Sri Lankan Navy, in a statement, said the arrests occurred during a special operation in the sea area north of Mannar.
“Five Indian fishing boats were seized and 32 Indian fishermen apprehended while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters,” the statement read.
The Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices by foreign fishing boats, considering the impact these practices have on the livelihoods of local fishermen, the statement added.
According to PTI, the arrested fishermen and their boats were brought to the Talaimannar Pier, where they will be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Mannar for legal action.
So far this year, the Navy has arrested 131 Indian fishermen and seized 18 fishing boats for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters, the statement said.
529 Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka in 2024
The fishermen issue remains contentious in India-Sri Lanka relations, with Lankan Navy personnel having previously fired on Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seized their boats in several alleged incidents of illegal entry into Sri Lankan territorial waters, PTI reported.
In 2024, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 529 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
Expressing concern over the “alarming” rise in the arrest of Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday urged the Centre to immediately convene the Joint Working Group to find a permanent solution to the issue.
The CM wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, flagging the latest detention of 32 Indian fishermen and five boats by the Lankan Navy.
“I write this letter with a sense of deep anguish as the number of incidents of apprehension of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy has risen alarmingly in recent times. In the latest incident, 32 fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on 23.02.2025 along with their five mechanised fishing boats… these fishermen had ventured for fishing from the Rameswaram fishing harbour on 22.02.2025,” Stalin said in his letter.
The apprehensions of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy are still continuing in large numbers inspite of his repeated requests to prevail upon Colombo to prevent such arrests. So far this year, 119 fishermen and 16 boats have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy in eight separate incidents, he added.
“Hence, I once again reiterate my earlier request to convene the Joint Working Group immediately to find a permanent solution to this long pending issue. This is especially crucial since the livelihoods of our fishermen families are impacted severely, due to these apprehensions.”
“In view of the above, I request you to take strong diplomatic efforts to prevent the arrests of our fishermen and to secure the release of all the apprehended fishermen and their fishing boats from the Sri Lankan authorities at the earliest,” the CM added.
(With PTI inputs)
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